Becky Harkema, director of the YMCA of Washington County, and others met with Vision Iowa Wednesday to go over a grant request for $1.5 million for a new YMCA in the City of Washington. Harekma tells KCII News, Vision Iowa seems to like the project that will be constructed on West 5th Street. The project received a $5,000 pledge from the City of Wellman for the effort ($1,000 for five years). It did not get a funding increase from the county, the supervisors voted this week to keep their pledge at $10,000.

So far approximately $6 million has been raised for the $10.8 million project, including a $3.5 million grant from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation – the largest grant in the foundation’s history. Harkema says they’ll meet with Vision Iowa again in April.